While the UConn Huskies have all sights set on a trip back to the national championship at stake, it’s hard not to keep thinking about the insane ending against Duke, where a halftime court shot sealed victory in a way fit for March Madness.
But head coach Dan Hurley credited his wife, Andrea, who he called a "Jersey boss lady," for making sure the Huskies didn’t do anything they’d regret after that three-pointer gave them a 73-72 lead, securing them a spot in the Final Four.
Hurley, making an appearance on Barstool Sports’ "Pardon My Take," agreed with Dan "Big Cat" Katz when he mentioned how "incredible" Andrea was in making sure all the players and staff went back to the bench after the shot was hit.
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With 0.3 seconds still left on the clock, the Huskies may have gotten a technical foul, which would result in free throws for Duke.
"Yeah, she’s a boss. She’s the Jersey boss lady. And her language is colorful, too. I mean, she was grabbing people around the back of their warmups. And she doesn’t know anything about basketball, you know?" Hurley said.
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Hurley revealed the conversation he had with his wife after the Final Four spot was secured.
"I said to her on the plane, ‘This is wild. Three out of four years, you’re going to the Final Four. Do you ever imagine this with your life’" Hurley said.
"And she’s like, ‘I didn’t even know Final Four existed until four years ago."
Four years ago, Hurley made his first trip to the Final Four, and the result was exactly what he had hoped for: a national championship title.
The Huskies were able to defend that title in 2024, maintaining their No. 1 overall seed throughout the year. But after losing in the second round to Florida in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the Huskies came in looking for redemption.
They got as high as No. 2 in the AP rankings, and they are a No. 2 seed set to face No. 3 Illinois with a chance to return to the national championship next Monday.
But that wouldn’t have been the case if his players didn’t intercept a pass by Duke star Cam Boozer, the son of Duke and NBA great Carlos Boozer, and Braylon Mullins drilling a three-pointer almost at the buzzer in a bizarre finish to their Elite Eight matchup.
At that moment, UConn came back from what was a 19-point deficit to shock the Blue Devils and earn a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium, where they will take on Illinois, the top-ranked offense in the country this year, for a spot in the final.
The teams will tip off in Indianapolis at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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